I am an ED at a large foundation and performance reviews are approaching. There is a key member of my team who has been at the foundation much longer than anyone else. While I value his expertise, I have noticed that his performance is not what it used to be and needs to improve. How do I give him this feedback without alienating him?
Feedback shouldn't be a surprise. Hopefully, he has been receiving feedback along the way about specific behaviors that he has needed to change. Start out by stating your intent in giving the feedback. For example, “My goal in giving you this feedback is for you to be able to step up and get that promotion….” Then describe the actual behavior that you noticed and the situation in which it occurred (i.e., “You did not show up to the last three of our staff meetings”), the impact that it had (i.e., “this upset the rest of the team who were counting on getting key updates from you so they could move forward with their projects”), and then articulate the desired results (“I’d like for you to be at all of our staff meetings from now on. If you can’t attend, I’d like for you to let me know and to send someone from your team in your absence”).
If he becomes defensive, don’t defend your feedback or get combative--just notice his behaviors and get curious about what is going on for him. Show empathy for how he is feeling. For example, “You just crossed your arms tightly and got very tense--I can imagine this doesn’t feel good. What are you thinking right now?” Engage in dialogue while upholding your expectations of him.
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